What are some of your favorite childhood memories?
My favorite childhood memories involve when I hung out with my older brother Patrick because he was always doing something interesting—building treehouses, collecting unusual rocks, bringing home a skunk, he took me to see a beaver dam and we watched from across the water, went into bat caves in Missouri and, because he wanted to be a herpetologist, we collected, fed and then released back into the wild, snakes.
Where would you say your love for writing and storytelling comes from? Do your parents like to write?
My love of writing initiated from my father. He was an English major in college and wrote a column for a newspaper he published.
Do you remember the first book you picked up to read? What was it about?
The first book I remember picking up and reading on my own came from my father’s library—Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
What are some interesting experiences you've had as a teen?
I have written much of my life’s story via The Orlando Sentinel and will be publishing a book about it called The Other Side of the Smart Board.
What writing advice would you have given your past self?
Any writing advice that I might have offered my past self would be to keep all of your writings, even your early diary entries.
When writing "Loose Balloons", did you want the writing to be fun and silly, or more serious?
Loose Balloons was originally designed for entertainment and education. I wanted children to deem the printed word as an engaging, pleasant experience.
How did you come up with the title, Loose Balloons?
The title originally for Loose Balloons was “Poetry for the Fun of It.” That title and manuscript won First Place in Children’s at the Ocala Writers Conference but proved too generic for publication. I came up with the more specific title idea because I realized Shel Silverstein’s theme was also diversified like “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”
How do you start writing poetry?
I do not write poetry intentionally. If the Muse beacons, I follow. Rich reading on my part elicits her presence.
What is the best way to get started with writing as a hobby?
To get started writing as a hobby, I would offer others to write about your hobbies, interesting and conflicting people in your life. For example, if you observe a bird from your window, study it, think about it and ascribe it to your heart and mind via an illustration and/or writing.
Do you still read children's books as an adult? What subgenres do you enjoy, if so? If not, why?
I am catching up on children’s books right now. I just took a Children’s Literature class and read kid lit to inspire my children’s Muse.
What are some things to note when writing children's books?
When writing children’s books, something to note is to keep the child’s welfare in mind as the impetus and the ultimate result of the content.
If you could recommend a children's book an adult should read, what would it be?
If I could recommend a children’s book for an adult to read, it would be Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I taught school for 30 years, and many parents and teachers miss the more critical students who struggle with reading. That story is an eye-opener to the degree a child will go to to appear “normal” -to the child’s own educational chagrin.
What is the most difficult aspect of writing a children's book?
The most difficult aspect of writing a children’s book for me is disciplining myself to read rich literature on a regular basis-that will subsequently (as mentioned before) rematerialize my Muse.
Which is the next book you are working on? Give us an insight into it.
My next book is the follow-up to Loose Balloons entitled Where Do Balloons Land? It will be published this October by Taylor snd Seale Publishing.
Judging from your experience so far, how would you rate and review AllAuthor?
I would rate AllAuthor a 5 out of 5. AllAuthor creates a variety of imaginative opportunities for a writer to share their work. AllAuthor is the most thorough promotional group that I have worked with.
